The Moments We Remember
by Mia Gone Mad
Summary: There are moments that define us. Moments that take our breath away, and change who we are. Ones we wish desperately to forget, and the ones we just won't let go. These are the moments that Hermione simply can't forget.
1. The Moment it Ended

_Hey y'all, I'm finally doing what I have been dying to do for years and have never actually gotten off my metaphorical ass to do! I'm starting a HP fic! _

_I do not own HP or any of J.K. Rowling's works._

Prologue

I'd always been afraid of heights. Not that I'd ever admit it to anyone. My pride simply wouldn't allow it. They could guess, though, because what other reason did I have to constantly hate on Quidditch?

Who could enjoy that feeling? The drop in your stomach that made you feel empty inside, the inevitable sense of vertigo. For those that knew the truth though, I'd always played it off. I'd make jokes about how it wasn't the height that scared me, it was the fall. And it wasn't even really the fall that scared me, but the _splat_ at the end of it.

And here I was now, falling, and I wasn't afraid. It was peaceful here, even though I'd seen the rocks I'd soon meet. It was as if time had slowed down the moment I had tumbled backwards off the cliff top that now stretched far above me. My hands reached out towards it, but my mind was moving slowly too, and the cold air that blew past me had turned my brain to mush. I was not afraid of this. I had been ready for weeks. I had nothing left to live for.

What an unpleasant thought. But even that didn't remain in my mind long. As the ground approached, and I saw the faces peering over the edge at me, heard the distant screams in my ears, I closed my eyes. And suddenly, I was in a better place for just a few moments. Memories flickered past my eyes, all the good things I'd seen and felt in my life. It was true what they said, that your life flashes past your eyes at the end.

Tears welled in my eyes at the things I saw. I'd lived a life of such darkness, and so much beauty. A hug from my best friends, the triumph of a spell done right, the praise of my parents and teachers. And even more, the moments only _he_ knew of. Stolen kisses that took my breath away, romantic dates that not even Shakespeare could have dreamt up. Passionate nights that made all other nights pale in comparison.

I had lived a beautiful life, and in that moment, I realized that I didn't want to be here, falling through time and space towards the end. _I wanted to keep living. _

But Fate does not care what we want.


	2. The Moment it Began

_**Don't worry guys! Not a one-shot! That would be way too cruel of me! Glad it got your attention though! As always, I do not own Harry Potter, or any of the characters. **_

I suppose the end was a bad place to begin my story. It was before all this, before all the pain and darkness, where I should have begun. Before all the love. But there has to be an ending before there can be a beginning. As the saying goes, one door closes so another can open. The ending that began my tale was one that was, as endings often are, quite bittersweet.

Harry's triumph over Voldemort signified the ending of the Second Wizarding War. I wasn't very fond of the name. It had been more like a revolution, of the Light over throwing Voldemort once and for all.

All those who'd battled for the Light sat in the Great Hall after the battle, and there was a sense of unity that had been missing for months, and even years. After being unable to trust our neighbors for so long, it was indescribable, being able to sit by a stranger, boy or girl, student or adult, and know that you were almost family, bound together by the war.

There was sweet joy in realizing that we would never again be tormented by the man called Riddle, and a stinging pain in remembering how many of our loved ones had died so that the rest of the world could be safe. There was no one sitting in the Hall unburdened by loss.

Even Draco Malfoy was suffering. He sat in the far corner, alone with his parents. They were not a part of us, nor were they our enemy anymore. They didn't quite abide by any of the rules that defined the Light and Dark; instead, they floated in the gray shadows.

His loss was not so obvious, and not one most would even consider a real loss that day, when others seemed to have lost so much more. He had lost his ideals, his power, and most importantly, his youth. The Pureblooded mania had robbed him of his innocence from the very start.

Those few hours in the Great Hall were the first moments of peace the boys and I had had in a months, and they were richer than any reward we could be offered.

~~_Two Days Later_~~

"What about the actual Aurors, who've been trained for this?" Harry demanded, striding across the room to slam his fists down upon the messy desk. Papers flew up around him, but neither he nor Kingsley seemed to notice. I had flinched though. Inside, the school girl in me was screaming.

Kingsley had let us have a few nights to celebrate, to rest, and most importantly, to clean up. You can't truly understand how amazing a hot shower feels after months of neglect. Harry no longer looked like a walking corpse, and I'd been able to wrangle my own hair into a curly pony tail that for once, didn't look like a bush. Ron was sitting next to me, staring at the floor with dead eyes.

He was safe, rested, and fed. All things he would have killed for when we were on our search. But even that wasn't enough to combat the pain of losing a brother, and Harry and I kept exchanging anxious glances, desperate to leave the Ministry for Ron's sake.

But Kingsley had just dropped a bomb on us, and I knew I should have warned the boys, because I expected this.

"Some of the Death Eaters disbanded, and have started selling secrets to the Ministry in exchange for reduced sentences. Most of our Aurors are involved in investigating all the claims and on top of that, a large number of the Aurors were killed in the war." Kingsley said, his voice heavy with regret. "And most unfortunately of all, all of the really loyal, twisted Death Eaters have evaded capture, and are still attacking people. There are even rumors of them trying to gain more members and there have definitely been threats aimed at the three of you." He gestured to us with a wave of his hand.

"We aren't trained to be Death Eater hunters. Sure, you've made us honorary Aurors, but we're still just students. You've given Neville and Ginny the same title. Are they expected to join us?" I said from my seat. During Kingsley's speech, Ron had stood up and began pacing, just steps behind Harry. I remained in the chair I'd been offered from the start, quietly contemplating the situation. The boys were counting on me to think my way out of this, but it all came down to a single question. Did we have the heart to quit fighting, to leave the world to struggle on its own?

"Don't think we don't realize that. Of course you'd require some training, though it'd be nothing like the training of the other Aurors. Your war experience sets you apart from the average graduates of Hogwarts. You obviously won't have to take the NEWTs either." Kingsley smiled sadly at me, and I tilted my head in acceptance. He knew I'd been looking forward to NEWTs, and unlike my Housemates, he didn't find it strange. Kingsley, and a lot of the older Order members, understood that I looked forward to the moments where I could prove to people like Malfoy that I was just as good as them.

"You talk about this like we've already said yes." Ron said, clapping his hand upon my shoulder. On the other side of me, Harry had done the same thing. They were both so protective of me, and I was the one who had suffered the least. They were the ones who deserved to be protected, but _dammit_, I wasn't smart enough to get us out of this one.

"Of course you have a choice." Kingsley spoke softly, shaking his head. With remorse, or anger, I couldn't tell. "But you're the Golden Trio. No one will be more famous than the three of you. Your names are the ones that strike fear into the hearts of those in the Dark. I cannot even properly explain the effect it would have if you three became Aurors, though you'll be more than that." He stood up, grabbing a few sheets of parchment from the ground, and handed them to me with a heavy sigh.

On the sheet were a set of plans, and a list of names. Various members of the DA, and other students who'd fought with us in the battle. The title at the top of the page read Magical Law Enforcement: Death Hunters.

"You're starting a new division." I spoke, my eyes flitting down the page. I wasn't even truly reading the names, too busy working through the implications of such an idea.

"A group of young people, already experienced, who would be completely dedicated to the eradication of Death Eaters." I looked up at him, trying to meet his eye. He wouldn't meet them though, and I knew then that we were screwed.

We all knew what would happen. Harry couldn't stand for Death Eaters to stay loose, and Ron and I wouldn't leave his side. We couldn't. After the past 7 years, trying to imagine life without my boys, even if it was full of peace, wasn't worth it. I knew Ron felt the same.

"Just tell us when we stat." Harry finally spoke, and his voice was full of steel. He knew we were with him, and that was killing him inside. He, like Ron and I, had hoped we were done. I didn't have to look at Harry's face to know what he was thinking. It was the same thing running through my mind.

_You should have known, Hermione. _A little voice in my mind whispered, snickering. _You're a war hero, now. And war heroes belong to the Ministry. _

_**I apologize for the name of the new group, if you think it's silly, my brother and I came up with it at 3 am. I wanted to give them a new name to make the group really stand out. They aren't just Aurors, going after any Dark witch or wizard. They are a group focused solely on the capture of Death Eaters. If you have any issues or ideas with that, please, let me know. If it's a bad idea, by all means, tell me!**_


End file.
